Sectional knockdown cabinet.



N 884 550.3 P T TED APR. 14 1908.

0 J. P. WILMOT. EN

SECTIONAL KNOGKDOWN CABINET. APPLICATION FILED MAY 24. 1907.

2 SHEETS-SHSET 1.-

THE "arms PETERS cpI, Imsnmm'on, n. c.

'N ss4550.- P TE TED APR.14 190a. 0 J. P. WILMOT. A N I SBGTIONALKNOGKDOWN CABINET.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 24. 1907.

I 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

JOHN F. WILMOT, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

SECTIONAL KNOCKDOWN CABINET.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed May24, 1907.

Patented April 14, 1908.

Serial No. 375,496.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN F. WILMOT, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, residing at Detroit, in the county of Wayne and State ofMichigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in SectionalKnockdown Cabinets, of which the following is a specification, referencebeing had therein to the accompanying drawings' The invention relates toknock-down cabinets, and is more particularly designed for use with aconstruction of sectional book cases, although certain features of theconstruction are applicable to other uses.

Itis the object of the invention to obtain a construction which may beshipped in knockdown form, and readily assembled without the exercise ofgreat mechanical skill.

It is a further object to obtain a construction which is practicallydust proof, and in which each section forms a strong and rigidconstruction, and which is capable of being moved about withoutdisturbing the contents.

WVith these, and other objects, in view, the invention consists incertain features of construction as hereinafter set forth.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of one section of thecase with the hinged front detached; Fig. 1 is a fragmentary perspectiveview of the lower end of a section; Fig. 2 is a cross section throughthe adjoining portions of two sections of the case; Fig. 3 is ahorizontal section illustrating the connection between the back and oneof the sides of the case; Fig. 4 is a vertical longitudinal sectionillustrating the connection between the sides and shelf of the casesection, and also the engagement between superposed sections; Fig. 5 isa plan view of the locking device for securing the back plates to theshelf; Fig. 6 is a cross section through the base. Fig. 7 is a sectionalperspective view illustrating the hinged connection between the door andthe slidable bar to which it is attached, and also'the means forsecuring the packing strips to said bar. Fig. 8 is a broken frontelevation of a plurality of superposed sections.

My construction belongs to that type of sectional cases in which avariable number of sections or units may be arranged in superposedrelation in connection with a suitable ase and top section.

Each unit or section of my improved construction is so formed that itmay be shipped or stored in knock-clown condition, and is constructed asfollows: A is a shelf and B B end sections connected therewith. Theseend sections are preferably attached to the shelf, as illustrated inFig. 4, by means of bolts 0. These bolts are anchored at one end in theside sections B, and are adapted to engage sockets in the ends of theshelf section, and nuts D arranged in recesses E therein. Thus the sidesand the shelf may be quickly attached by inserting the bolts, andscrewing up the nuts D. The back sec tion F is secured to the shelf andside sec-- tions by being provided with flanges G at opposite endsthereof, which engage kerfs 1n the rear edges of the sides. This back Fis preferably formed of sheet metal, and the flanges are integral partsthereof, preferably reinforced by folding to form a double ply. Theseflanges are also cut away at H to form hooks for engaging pins 1 set inthe sides and extending through the kerfs, as illustrated in Fig. 3. Thebacks F are also attached to the rear edges of the shelves A so as toform a dust proof connection therewith. This connection comprisesaflanged bar J, preferably a T-bar, the web portion of which engages a.

kerf in the rear edge of the shelf, and the flanges of which overlap theedges of the backs above and below said shelf.

For facilitating engagement, the bar J is adjustable in the kerf of theshelf, and is preferably provided with means of attach ment which may beoperated from the front of the case. This, as shown in Figs. 2 and 5,comprises a catch K attached to the web of the bar, and arranged in arecess L in the shelf into which the fingers of the o erator may beinserted for moving the catc i. As shown, the catch is shaped slot K,throug which a pin K is inserted, and the arrangement is such that amovement in one direction will lock the bar J in close proximity to therear edge of the shelf, while a movement in the opposite direction willdisengage the catch, and permit said bar to be moved'rearward.

The shelf, sides and back section described constitute the rigidelements of each section or unit of the case, and it will be observedthat by reason of the flanged engagement of the back section with thekerfed edges of the sides a strong brace is formed for holding thestructure rigid and rectangular. The unit is completed by a frontsection L, preferably a glass panel door, which is adapted to be rovidedwith an L swung upward and slid into the upper portion of the sectionwhen the latter is opened. Doors of this character, as heretoforeconstructed are often difficult to 0 erate due to their liability tobecome skewer in sliding in or out of the case, and consequentlybinding. This difficulty I have overcome by a door guide of thefollowing construction.

M are rods or guide rails arranged across the inner faces of the sidesof the case near the upper edges thereof.

N 1s a bar extending longitudinally of the case with its opposite endsresting upon the guides M. To this bar the door or front L is hinged,preferably by hooks O passing through apertures in the bar.

P are toggles connecting the bar N with a parallelly arranged bar Q,which is normally adjacent to the back of the case, and is secured inposition by suitable means, as hooks Q, engaging brackets upon the sidesB B.

The construction just described is such that the bar N may be slidinward or outward upon the guides M by folding or straightening thetoggles P. The knuckles of these toggles are, however, held a fixeddistance from each other by a connecting link R, and as a consequenceboth ends of the bar N are compelled to move together, constantlymaintaining its parallelism with the bar As the door L is hinged to thebar N it is evident that it also will be held in parallelism to the barQ so as to prevent possibility of skewing or the binding of its oppositeedges against the sides B B.

The bar N, in addition to forming a hinged support and guide for thedoor, performs the further function of a dust guard for sealing thejoint between the door and the shelf. To this end the bar N ispreferably an angle bar, and has attached to its flanges strips of feltor other packing material, S. One of these strips presses against theunder side of the shelf, while the other stri bears against the innerface of the door rail, as illustrated in Fig. 2. Still a furtherfunction performed by the bar N is to form an air cushion within thecase for preventing the slamming of the door, if dropped when in raisedposition. It will be understood that the door in dropping forces an aircurrent into .the case, but, as ordinarily constructed, there issuflicient clearance between the hinged edge and the upper shelf topermit this air to escape. W1th my construction, this joint is sealed bythe packing strip S, and consequently an-air cushion is formed whichwill lessen-the impact of the door against the case.

By using an angle bar for the bar N it may be entirely concealed behindthe upper rail of the door, and at the same time provide space forreceiving said rail when the door is swung up into horizontal positionand prevents the hooks from disengaging in pressing the door inwardFurthermore, the angle shape imparts strength and rigidity to the bar,which is desirable.

For uniting superposed units, tongues are provided on each section,which engage kerfs on the adjacent section, forming a tongue and groovedjoint therewith. These tongues T are preferably formed of sheet steel,and are secured to the lower ends of the side sections B B. For securingin position, they are preferably inserted in kerfs in the lower edges ofsaid sides, and are locked therein by engagement with the bolt C. Ipreferably employ these tongues for the further function of forming theanchors for the bolts C, and to this end said bolts are provided with athreaded portion a, which may be engaged with threaded apertures in thetongues T, as illustrated in Fig. 4.

When the series of units are assembled, the shelves of the upper andintermediate units derive their support from the sides. To pre vent(.langer of springing down at the center, I preferably truss theseshelves, and this is accomplished by grooving the under face, near thefront edge, and inserting a bar U, arranged on edge, as illustrated inFig. 2. This truss barneed not extend the entire length of the shelf,but only a portion thereof, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 1. Thebar is anchored in the shelf by suitable means, such as the pins V,driven infrom the edge of the shelf and engaging apertures in the bar.

It is usual to form the base for supporting a series of units withclosed front and sides, extending to the floor. In the cleaning of thefloor, the mop or brush is frequently brought into contact with thefinished surface of the base so as to soon destroy the polish. I havetherefore provided the base section WV with a movable front panel X,which normally extends to the floor, but which may be turned up when thefioor is cleaned.

Any suitable form of attachment may be employed, but, as shown, Iprovide a pair of links Y, to which the front section X is pivoted, andwhich permits it to be first drawn outward and then turned up, asillustrated in Fig. 6.

With the construction as described, when the case is to be stored orshipped, the several pieces composing each unit or section may bedisconnected, To assemble the case, the sides B B are first attached tothe shelf A by engaging the bolts with the nuts in the recesses E. Theback F is then engaged with the sides by inserting the flanges G in thekerfs in said sides, and engaging the hooks II with the pins I. The barsN and Q are permanently attached to each other by the toggle links P,but may be detached or attached to the case by the engagement of thehooks Q with the brackets The door I] is attached to the bar N by thehooks 0.

Where a number of units are arranged in superposed relation, they may besuccessively engaged with each other by inserting the steel tongues Tinto the kerfs of the lower section, and to insure accurate alinement ofthe front edges of the sides I preferably provide dowel pins Y. Beforeengaging the sections, the T-bar J for the upper section is adjustedrearward, so as 'to permit the back of the lower section to be insertedbetween the flanges of said bar and the rear edge of the shelf. TheT-bar is then drawn forward, by operating the catches Kin the mannerpreviously described, and this will form a dust tight joint between thetwo sections.

The hinge hooks O for the door L are preferably located opposite theside rails of the door, so that they are concealed by these rails fromview. The packing strips S are attached to the bar N by any suitablemeans, but preferably by providing the bar with a series of apertures Stherein, permitting of sewing the strips in position.

In order that the back F may be flush with the rear edges of the sides,I preferably rabbet said sides, as at F, between the kerf for. receivingthe flange G and the inner edge. This will provide a sufficient recessto receive the thickness of the back, as illustrated in Fig. 3.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. In a sectional cabinet, a unit comprising a shelf, vertical sidesconnected at their lower ends to the opposite ends of said shelf, meansof engagement between said sides and the sides of an adjacent section orunit, a back detachably engaging the rear edges of said sides, and meansfor detachably clamping the backs of adjacent sections to the rear edgeof the intermediate shelf and intermediate the ends thereof.

2. In a knock-down sectional cabinet, the combination with a shelf and avertical side, of a tongue engaging a kerf in said side and projectingfor engagement with a registering kerf of the side of an adjacentsection, a stud anchored in the side by a threaded engagement with saidtongue and projecting inward therefrom into a socket in the end of saidshelf, and a nut for engaging a threaded portion of said stud located ina recess in the under side of said shelf.

3. In a sectional cabinet, a section comprising a shelf, vertical sidesand a back secured to said shelf, a flat metallic bar arranged on edgeand secured in a recess in the under side of said shelf adjacent to thefront edge thereof, and anchors for securing the ends of said bar to theshelf located at a point intermediate the center of the shelf and theends thereof.

1. In a sectional cabinet, a section comprising a shelf, vertical sidesattached thereto, a back, and connecting means for said back engagingkerfs in said sides and shelf.

'5. In a sectional cabinet, a section com prising a shelf and sides, aback p ovided with inturned flanges at its opposite ends engaging kerfsin the rear edges of said sides, and means for locking said flanges insaid kerfs.

6. In a sectional cabinet, a section comprising a shelf, sides attachedthereto, a back provided with inturned flanges at its opposite endsengaging kerfs in the rear edges of said sides, and hooksformed in saidflanges for engaging keepers in said kerfs.

7. In a sectional cabinet, a section comprising a body portion and aback, and a securing device therefor, comprising a bar having alongitudinal flange laterally adjustably engaging a kerf in the rearedge of said body portion, and a second flange in a plane parallel tosaid back overlapping the edge of the back.

8. In a sectional cabinet, a section comprising a body portion includinga shelf and sides, a back, and a securing means comprising a bar havinga longitudinal flange engaging a kerf in the rear edge of said bodyportion, and a second flange in a plane parallel to said backoverlapping the edge of said back, and means operable from the front forclamping said bar against the back.

9. In a sectional cabinet, a plurality of superposed sections, eachcomprising a shelf, sides, and back, and adjustable means for detachablyclamping the backs of adjacent sections to the rear edge of theintermediate shelf.

10. In a sectional cabinet, the combination with a plurality ofsections, each comprising a shelf, sides and back, of a flanged baradjustably engaging a kerf in the rear edge of the intermediate shelfand overlapping the adjacent edges of the backs.

11. In a sectional cabinet,the combination with a plurality ofsuperposed sections, each comprising a shelf, sides and a back, of aT-bar having its stem adjustably engaging a kerf in the rear edge of theintermediate shelf with its flanges overlapping the adj acent edges ofthe backs.

12. In a sectional cabinet, the combination with a plurality ofsuperposed sections, each comprising a shelf, sides, and a back, of aT-bar engaging a kerf in the rear edge of the intermediate shelf, andhaving its flanges overlapping the adjacent edges of the backs, andmeans operable from the front for drawing said bar inward in said kerfand clamping said backs.

13. In a cabinet, the combination with a door hinged at its upper edge,of a bar to which said door is hinged laterally adjustably securedwithin said cabinet, and packing material for sealing the joint betweensaid door and bar secured to the latter.

14. In a cabinet, the combination with a shelf and parallel sides, of abar slidable between said sides beneath said shelf, a door hinged tosaid bar, and means for packing said door when in its rearward positionof adjustment.

16. In a cabinet, the combination with a shelf and parallel sides, of ahinged door and an angle bar to which said door is hinged laterallyadjustable beneath said shelf, the space within the angle of the barreceiving the edge of said door in its horizontal position, and packingmaterial secured to the flanges of said angle bar and sealing the jointbetween said bar and the shelf and door respectively.

17. In a sectional cabinet, a section comprising a shelf and sides, aback provided with an inturned flange at one end thereof for engaging akerf in the rear edge of a side, and means for locking said flange insaid kerf.

18., In a cabinet, the combination with a shelf and parallel sides, of abar laterally slidable between said sides beneath said shelf, a doorhinged to said bar, and packing material secured to said bar by sewingthrough apertures therein.

19. In a cabinet, the combination with a shelf and parallel sides, of anangle bar laterally slidable between said sides beneath said shelf, anda door having a hook engaging an aperture in the flange of said anglebar forming a hinged connection thereto ermitting of turning theadjacent rail of t e door into the recess of the angle.

20. In a cabinet, the combination with a shelf and parallel sides, of abar laterally slidable between said sides beneath said shelf, a door anda hook forming a hinged connection between said door and bar engaging anaperture in the latter, and located to be concealed behind the side railof the door.

21. In a cabinet, the combination with a shelf and parallel sides, of anangle bar laterally slidable between said sides beneath said shelf, oneof the flanges of said bar being arranged horizontally and projectingforwardly and the other flange projecting vertically upward, a-doorhaving its top rail adapted to fit the recess within said angle bar, anda hook on said rail engaging an a erture in the horizontal flange ofsaid bar, 1; e upper edge of the rail being adapted to abut against saidvertical flange when said door is in horizontal position and said railis in the recess of said bar, whereby disengagement of said hook isprevented.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN F. WILMOT.

Witnesses:

NELLIE KINsELLA, JAMES P. BARRY.

